St. Charles motorist reports carjacking

A St. Charles man told Columbia police that his vehicle was stolen at gunpoint early yesterday by a pedestrian who signaled for him to stop at the corner of Providence Road and Ash Street.

The holdup occurred at about 1:40 a.m.

About 1½ hours later, officers on patrol found the victim's vehicle in a parking lot off Allen Street near Bryant Walkway, a Columbia Housing Authority neighborhood. Some property belonging to the victim had been taken, Sgt. Krista Shouse-Jones said in a news release.

The victim, 24, told police he had been driving north on Providence and was turning east onto Ash when a slender black man about 6 feet tall and wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans approached on foot from the west, pointed a gun at him and ordered the driver to stop. The gunman then took the victim's wallet and car, police said.

The case was turned over to the Major Crimes Unit of the police department. Anyone with information may contact CrimeStoppers online at 875tips.com.